Archive for September, 2011

Last weekend, there was an intense thunderstorm that swept across the northern part of Indiana. My wife and I were at a wedding most of the afternoon, but drove home through the tail end of it.

It was pretty crazy to see the flashes of ligtning light up the night sky. They were graphic reminders of God’s power and His wonderful creation.

The whole incident was also a reminder to me of how many other people in many other places at many other times have attributed similar events to many other false gods. In fact, most other cultures throughout history would attribute such a display to one god, then attribute the rain or floods to another, and also attribute the safe journey that I made/they would make to another god/gods.

I am so thankful that I know the truth, that there is one true God in charge of it all. He’s the mighty Creator of heaven and earth and He’s also the gracious Redeemer and Protector of His children. We have a great God:

“Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Ps. 20:6-7)

OrthoWorx announced that David K. Floyd will join the Warsaw-based community group as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 6, 2011. Mr. Floyd most recently served as Worldwide President of DePuy Orthopaedics, a Johnson & Johnson Company headquartered in Warsaw.

“We are delighted that David has agreed to join our organization as Chief Executive Officer,” said Cheryl R. Blanchard, PhD, chair of the OrthoWorx Board of Directors. “David’s industry experience as the global head of a multi-billion dollar orthopedic enterprise, his leadership in the creation and launch of OrthoWorx, and his deep connections to the Warsaw community make him ideally suited for this position.”

Mr. Floyd was a founding member of the OrthoWorx Board of Directors and served on the board until April 2011. He also has served as chair of the organization’s Transportation and Logistics Initiative. He began his orthopedic industry career at Zimmer in Warsaw in 1987 and is a graduate of Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana.

“I am delighted to join OrthoWorx and to be able to draw on my experiences in leadership and in the orthopedic industry in a different way—to help the Warsaw region continue to thrive as the orthopedic capital of the world,” said Mr. Floyd. “The formation of OrthoWorx was a recognition that the Warsaw area must continue to advance and adapt to new global pressures if it is to retain its status as a world-class center of research, development and manufacturing. In its first two years, OrthoWorx has made excellent progress on a number of initiatives and has built important collaborative relationships with community stakeholders. I am excited about working with the Board and our executive director, Brad Bishop, to continue that work. The orthopedic industry has been a great Indiana success story and I believe it can continue to be a powerful driver of our region’s overall economy.”

Mr. Floyd joined DePuy Orthopaedics as U.S. President in September 2007, coming from Abbott Spine, where he served as President of the worldwide spine business. He has held executive leadership positions in several companies, including President of Centerpulse Orthopedics and President and CEO of AxioMed Spine Corporation. He is an alumnus of the Miller Graduate School of Business at Ball State University and the Kosciusko Leadership Academy. He serves as a Director of the Orthopedic Capital Foundation and on the President’s Advisory Council and the Strategic Planning Committee for Grace College.

About OrthoWorx

OrthoWorx (www.orthoworxindiana.com) is a Warsaw-based, industry, community and education initiative established to advance and support growth and innovation within the region’s uniquely concentrated, globally significant orthopedics device sector. Funded in part by the Lilly Endowment, OrthoWorx was founded in 2009 out of a comprehensive study conducted by BioCrossroads. The initiative engages and enhances the broader community interests that both serve and depend upon the sector’s continued growth by targeting an integrated set of educational, workforce, cultural, communication, branding, logistical and entrepreneurial efforts.

The role of religion in American society remains a topic of much discussion and debate. For many Americans, personal views on current religious and political issues are shaped by what they believe about America’s foundations. Was America founded as a Christian nation? Is it a secular nation? Or was it established with both secular and religious influences? Historian and author, Dr. John Fea, will probe these important questions in a public lecture at Grace College in commemoration of Constitution Day. The event will take place on the Grace College campus at Westminster Hall on Friday, September 16 at 7:00 p.m.

John Fea, chair of the Department of History at Messiah College in Grantham, PA, is a respected historian of colonial and revolutionary America and has a long list of publications on Christian faith and its role in American life. He speaks to numerous audiences and has been spotlighted on talk radio and C-SPAN’s Book TV. According to Jared Burkholder, assistant professor of American and world history at Grace College, “Fea’s treatment of religion and America’s founding is balanced, nuanced, and based on thorough research; the September address at Grace will no doubt be an engaging and enlightening event.”

This lecture will be part of the Lyceum Series on Faith and the Academy, a lecture series that draws inspiration from the history of both the college and Winona Lake. Lectures and presentations were a part of Winona Lake’s Chautauqua tradition since the late nineteenth century, attracting notable figures during the Progressive Era who brought “culture” to small town America. Looking for continuity with this valuable heritage, Grace College established the American Lyceum Lecture Series in the 1990s which showcased such figures as Allan Keyes and Michael Reagan. Recently renamed, the lectures series currently reflects both Winona Lake’s tradition of cultural engagement as well as Grace College’s commitment to participate in issues related to Christian faith and academia.

Fea’ lecture is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Jared Burkholder at Grace College, burkhojs@grace.edu or 800-544-7223 ext. 6006.